What's New Robert L. Park 9 Aug 2012

WHAT=92S NEW   Robert L. Park    Thursday, 9 Aug 2012   Washington, DC

1. THE LONG, HOT SUMMER: WHERE HAS WHAT=92S NEW BEEN?
You don=92t really want to know.  Nevertheless, What=92s New lives and th=
ere=92s=20
a lot we need to catch up on, so let=92s get started.=20=20

2. CURIOSITY: THE ADVENTURES OF A VIRTUAL ASTRONAUT.
Launching the Mars Science Laboratory Rover on a 150,000,000 mile journey=
=20
to Gale Crater on Mars was a lot easier than landing it safely once it go=
t=20
there, but NASA pulled the incredible landing maneuver off perfectly.=20=20=

After all, this was science-NASA, the part of NASA that explores the moon=
s=20
of Saturn with unmanned spacecraft, and uses space telescopes to discover=
=20
exoplanets orbiting distant stars. The new Rover, which also answers to t=
he=20
whimsical name =93Curiosity,=94 will explore Gale Crater for one Martian =
year=20
(687 Earth days) looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life.  This may=
=20
call for a sample return mission, but it=92s still the greatest quest in=20=

science.  There are, however, two NASAs.  Curiosity is also called on to=20=

evaluate the =93habitability=94 of Mars.  That=92s a concession to astron=
aut-
NASA, the larger =93half=94 of NASA=92s budget.  Astronaut-NASA dominated=
 the=20
space program from Apollo to the Space Shuttle and the International Spac=
e=20
Station, which trapped astronaut-NASA in low-Earth orbit. But as I pointe=
d=20
out in my article in Slate Magazine on Monday, the astronaut program simp=
ly=20
must not be allowed to control NASA as long as there is a search for=20
extraterrestrial life.=20=20=20

3. CELL PHONES: PROTECTING AMERICA FROM MICROWAVE PHOTONS?=20
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has introduced the Cell Phone Right to=
=20
Know Act (H.R. 6358) requiring radiation warning labels on mobile=20
communication devices.  If passed, the warning labels will inform consume=
rs=20
of the SAR (specific absorption rate) of their device.  But knowing the S=
AR=20
of their cell phones will be no help to consumers anyway, since numerous=20=

studies find no evidence linking SAR to actual health effects. However, t=
he=20
Kucinich Bill also calls for new research into cell-phone health effects=20=

since past research found zip. The bill would also compel the Environment=
al=20
Protection Agency to review and update its radiation-emission guidelines,=
=20
despite the absence of any problem.  We=92ve been down this road before. =
 The=20
power-line-radiation fiasco in the 1990s terrified millions of people who=
=20
thought the fields from electric power lines in their homes might lead to=
=20
childhood leukemia.  It took years to convince the public that power-line=
=20
fields are completely harmless. Many of those misled the public on power=20=

lines are at it again on cell phones.

4. GUNS: THE ADVENTURE OF LIVING IN A WORLD WITHOUT GUN LAWS.
Even as some in Congress seeks to protect us from feeble microwave photon=
s,=20
anyone can obtain an assault weapon that spews out 100 lead bullets per=20=

minute, each of which can blow half your head off.  There is no=20
justification for allowing such weapons in a civilized society.  =93Aye,=20=

there=92s the rub.=94

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
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